Snape's Secret Potions
by afish.2far
Summary: He had an extreme distaste to the Hospital Wing and a maniac Dark Lord to spy on. What's a Potion Master to do? Oneshot.


**A/N **I have been reading quite a few Snape fics just recently so thought I'd try one of my own. There's not much to it but I hope you like it nonetheless :)

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Severus sighed as he downed a pain reliever and felt the effects spread through his body. All things considered, tonight was a light meeting. He didn't think he'd received any internal injuries tonight. He did a quick diagnostic on himself to check. Nope. Good. He took a glance at his "special" potions cupboard and realised that he was getting low on several things, he would have to brew more.

Each Death Eater meeting resulted in ninety percent of the attendees being cursed and Severus often got the raw end of the deal. Many of the Death Eaters thought him cowardly and a traitor for running to Albus Dumbledore when Riddle fell the first time and Voldemort did nothing to stop them attacking him. He only ever said that Severus needed to retain his ability to brew. Often he was cursed, kicked, punched and paraded as a sign to what would happen to others if they also followed Severus' supposedly traitorous path and allied with the so called Leader of the Light. They were not allowed to kill him, the only thing that Severus ever thanked Riddle for, but they did everything else that they could - just to have some fun.

Unfortunately, the life of a spy meant that he couldn't just take a week or two off to recover. He could be needed at any time if either side requested more information. Add into that being Potions Master, Potions professor and head of Slytherin and he just didn't have the time to be injured. He kept a stock of pain relievers, fever reducers, blood replenishment potions, tissue repair and anti-Cruciatus potions warded in his quarters which he self medicated with when he returned. He couldn't have Poppy or Minerva finding out about the meetings, they'd confine him to the Hospital Wing and Poppy would demand that he stop spying. If they ever found out he'd been treating himself and not telling them, well that could turn out incredibly unpleasantly. He could not just stop spying, it was the only thing that gave him purpose in his otherwise wretched life. He knew how important his information was for the war effort - if he got a bit roughed up in the process then that was just bad luck.

The floo flared behind him and with a practiced flick of his wand the door to his secret potion cupboard shut and disappeared. Minerva stepped through the floo a second later.

"Ah Severus, you've returned" she said pleasantly. "I thought Poppy requested that you report to her when you came back?"

"I was just on my way Minerva. I am uninjured so I thought it would not matter if I took a short detour to change my robes first" he lied with a straight face.

"Hmmmm I doubt she'll approve of that, I shall escort you."

"That will not be necessary Minerva, I shall floo." Severus didn't fancy his chances walking through the castle, his leg was still throbbing.

"Very well. I shall let her know you are coming." Minerva disappeared in a flash of green flame.

Severus knew he had to follow or else it would look suspicious. He could not be having the medi-witch suspecting anything and performing complex charms on him. He flooed into the Hospital Wing and locked the pain behind his occlumency shields.

"Good evening Poppy" he greeted her.

"Good evening Severus" she replied. "Do you have anything to tell me?" She glared at him sternly.

"No" he replied.

"Very well. Do I have your permission to cast a diagnostic?"

"No. Can I leave now? There are some potions I must begin brewing."

"Severus..." Poppy warned.

"I am perfectly well and I resent you sending Minerva to fetch me like a small child. If I need your attention I shall ask for it, otherwise I request that you observe my privacy and let me live my life how I wish." He levelled his students-in-detention glare at her. "Good evening."

He stormed out of the Hospital Wing, glad that he wasn't limping and made it just out of sight before he leant against the wall.

"Cicero!" he called his house elf.

"Yes Master Severus?"

"Home."

A second later the corridor was empty.

The two witches were worried but knew there was nothing they could do. Severus was technically an adult. If he didn't wish to accept help then they could not force him.

A few weeks later Severus again returned from a Death Eater meeting battered, bruised and shaking from the Cruciatus curse. He staggered into the castle, focusing on getting to his potions cabinet in his quarters but in his heart he knew he wouldn't make it. A patronus shot from his wand just as he collapsed onto the floor.

He woke up, as he expected, in the Hospital Wing. He did not feel as if he had the energy to fight with Poppy though and a small smile crept onto his face as he decided, for once, he would give the mediwitch what she wanted and stay put.

Poppy was remarkably surprised when she found her patient still in bed the following morning. Severus was not a man to stay willingly and she had lost count of the amount of arguments she had had with him about his health. He would normally only remain in the Hospital Wing if he were unconscious; as soon as he awakened he would be gone.

"Good morning Severus" she greeted him. "How do you feel?"

"Wonderful" he replied sarcastically.

Poppy's wand ran expertly over his body as she smiled slightly. His brush with death hadn't changed his attitude it seemed. She summoned some potions and handed them to him, knowing that he would have to check that the brewer was himself before he drank them.

"Anti-Cruciatus I can understand Poppy, but two doses of blood replenisher? I hardly think that necessary." Blood replenishers were straightforward to brew but they took a long time. Time Severus didn't often have; so he knew exactly how much of the stuff he required.

"Are you the Healer or am I? You suffered internal bleeding. Drink them" she replied sternly.

"Or?"

"Don't tempt me Severus. You know I'll carry through." She glared at him. He sighed, but quickly downed the potions one after an other.

"Good. What happened?"

"I was at a critical stage in brewing and I could not disapparate to His side in time. The Dark Lord decided to use me to teach a lesson about timeliness and tardiness" Severus lied smoothly.

"This wasn't just magical torture. You need to stop going. You will get yourself killed."

"One cannot simply ignore the Dark Lord's summons."

Poppy huffed with exasperation but she knew she could never win that argument. Severus was unwavering in his dedication to his position and as stubborn as anything. None of his injuries were ever permanent so she had no medical grounds to force him to leave. The first day that it became apparent that he was targeted specifically, or the first hint that he was developing a permanent injury, Poppy would bring down full Healer law and have him removed as a spy. Until then, she would just have to keep patching him up and keeping an eye on him as much as she could.

"We'll see about that. For now, you will rest. Need I stick you to the bed to prevent you leaving?"

"You know as well as I do that those potions will render me unconscious shortly. Much as I dislike this place, even a bed in here is preferable to a corridor. Leaving now would just end me back here anyway."

"Very well, I'll give you one chance Severus."

Severus inclined his head. "Thankyou" he said.

Four days later, Severus was reacquainting himself with his quarters. He was released remarkably quickly for that mothering busybody, he thought as he checked the potions he had been brewing. He also had to admit that he felt better than he had in a long time. Unfortunately he was granted only one day of respite before he felt his mark burn and he prepared to face the abuse, the self medicating and the avoiding or lying to his colleagues once more.


End file.
